With a shout to his younger companion, the older Elf rushed me, ignoring the frost that thickened on his armor as he drew closer.
His daggers shone a pale green, and I grit my teeth as I felt Quintus coming from behind, the two Elves pinching me between them...
And the many soldiers that still threw themselves forwards, effectively pinning me down in the center of my domain.
My eyes fluttered around the battlefield, and I decisively spun and targeted Quintus, wanting to lesser the amount of variables that I needed to worry about around me.
He wasn't expecting me to shift my focus to him, but the Elf didn't falter whatsoever, instead just raising his own wind sheathed daggers and surging forwards, the two blades aimed for my chest.
Hefting the broad dagger in my right hand, I waited for us to collide, before activating the shield and grunting.
His magic was still rather potent, and I could feel the shield I created cracking under the pressure.
I only needed a moment though, and that shield gave me that moment.
With his daggers preoccupied, I slashed my thinner dagger towards his chest, activating that enchantment at the same time that I tried to gut him with the blade.
Quintus desperately tried to block the blade that inched closer to his belly, and his eyes widened in shock as a crescent of sharpened ice dug into his flesh before shattering.
Pushing past him, I slid behind him and rushed into the crowd of soldiers, wanting to take my chances amongst the normal fighters instead of the older Elf.
The young Elf, however, was now taken from the fight; [Frost of Despoina] was a potent skill, and even now frost began to creep along his veins and organs, only to shatter as he fell to the ground.
I only needed a single hit, and I could easily kill someone with contact to my ice.
When they aren't on guard for that, its a surefire way to kill, but when they know about it?
Not so easy anymore...
The older Elf had stopped his charge, instead taking the time to don a Wind Cloak before resuming his attacks, hoping to use his mana to combat mine.
Thus began another dance between us, constantly trading blows before backing away, taking any and every opportunity to study and observe the other.
His skill with those twin daggers was made clear each time he attacked, and I had to constantly be on guard as his agility seemed to grow after each exchange.
With such sharp daggers made for piercing, I was slowly being whittled down as he began to chip away the ice armor around me, removing it faster then it could grow back in the midst of the blizzard I had summoned.
With his younger companion out of the way, he made sure to give me no quarter, constantly engaging me and even going as far as to cut down the allies in his way as he continued to attack, leaving me no opening to begin casting spells.
The bodies that littered the ground around us grew, and the frost that spread did little to hinder his movements, even as his cloak began to stutter in the air.
With the few glances I could cast towards Jahi, I saw that Matilda had proven to be worthy of her title, a giant sphere of water cocooning the two women as they fought inside it.
Anput was also bogged down at the castle wall, her swords dancing around as she acted as the patch on the wall, keeping the invaders from coming inside.
With how long it had been, I was hoping that the Westerners might have run out of troops, but for the moment my wish was unanswered.
Our clash dragged on, each second stretching for eternity as I weaved away from his blades, only to find that they still tore chunks of ice from my body.
He wasn't left unscathed either, with various small cuts littering his body, but the difference...
Panting, I attempted to hide behind some soldiers to cast a healing spell on myself, only to curse as I had to rush away, my Protective Fang summoning another shield as a barrage of wind bullets tore through the soldiers, fist sized holes littering their corpses as they dropped.
Blood sprayed onto my armor, and I cursed again as more bullets flew towards me, one even nicking my calf.
Feeling the sharp gale cut into my flesh, I grimaced as I jumped away, narrowly avoiding the blast.
Clicking his tongue, the Elf stared at me before nodding to himself, his forest green eyes filled with firmness as he reached into his vest.
Widening my eyes, I rushed forwards, wanting to prevent him from taking out a new weapon.
Slashing my First Fang down, I sent a blade of ice towards the Elf, only for him to smirk as he...
Let the blade sever his left arm, sacrificing his limb as he pulled out a scroll.
Ignoring the pain, he chuckled as he said "Lady Ayla invented a little something. Told me that it would make this process... easier. I did underestimate you slightly, girl, but..."
Chuckling, he unfurled the scroll, and I shivered as I recognized the runes written on the paper.
Tossing the scroll into the air, the large sheet of paper hovered, the runes glowing as the spell began to solidify and activate.
Without hesitation I turned around, fueling the wind magic around my legs as best I could.
Shooting past the soldiers, I strained my muscles as hard as I could, only to gasp as something hooked around my leg.
Yanking backwards, I fell onto the ground and coughed, the air escaping my lungs as I was dragged over the various corpses, dragged back to the hovering scroll.
Each rune lit up slowly, but the spell was already beginning to activate.
The large scroll had become a doorway, leading directly to the Sariel Estate.
I could see the smirking faces of Jillian and Ayla staring at me, and I grit my teeth as I tried to reach down to the wind rope that was attached to my leg.
It cut into the flesh and reached the bone, and I let out a cry of pain as the sharp 'blades' began to tear into my fingers next, easily breaking the ice armor and reaching the flesh underneath.
Pulling away, lest I lose a finger, I tried to get a spell out quickly, only for my mind to blank as I felt the rope dig deeper into my ankle, severing the achilles tendon instantly.
My vision blurred as tears pooled in my eyes, but I grit my teeth and held in the pain, glaring at the Elf before me.
His eyes were empty as he watched me draw closer to the portal, where the two female Elves grinned maniacally as they watched me struggle around.
When I was only a few inches away from slipping into the portal, I heard Leone shout something as a bolt of flame struck the scroll, but by that point it was too late.
My legs were inside the portal, and as Leone's spells hammered against the scroll, the location rune flickered, and I fell inside completely.
Entering a dark abyss, I stared at the closing light that remained, the portal that was my only hope of returning to that battlefield.
It grew smaller as I fell, and eventually it was snuffed out, leaving me in the darkness as I crashed into the ground, passing out instantly.
~~~
Leone PoV
Having reached Adelina, I swiftly began to pour my mana into her body, staunching the bleeding and slowly stabilizing her condition, before burning the wounds shut.
The Lioness was conscious the entire time, and she grimaced and cried as the pain grew greater, before it receded.
Nirinia sat beside her, staring down at the Lioness with widened, wet jade eyes, a sphere of solidified wind protecting us fro further attack.
Reaching into a pouch, I withdrew a potion and pressed it against the Lioness' lips, before continued to use my magic to heal her internal wounds, the sluggish process taking quite a large chunk of mana from me.
With my attention so focused on saving the Commander, I barely felt the eruption of mana behind me as Kat cast her domain, and a small part of my brain grew worried.
ραпdα Й?νê|(сòm) However, I needed to focus on the Commander's injuries, lest the healing I did reverse in mere moments, sending the woman to an early grave.
The Djinn held the woman's hand, while she also helped the woman sip on the potion, trying her hardest to keep her hands from shaking.
Leaving them alone, I closed my eyes as I focused on the internal injuries, guiding my mana towards those broken bones, cut organs, and other damages, healing each one as best I could.
I wasn't as skilled in the Healing Arts, but what I needed to do was keep her from regressing to her prior injuries, which would kill her.
When that was done, and sweat stained my brow, I finally turned to stare at the blizzard behind us, instantly shooting to my feet.
Something felt wrong...
Kat hated displaying her skills, so for her to have used a domain spell...
Especially in an area like this; it took intense concentration and lots of mana to create a domain, and yet here it was...
Frowning, I glanced back at Nirinia and said "Keep her awake at all costs. Alternate between water and the potion, and make sure both are lukewarm. Don't let her move. Good?"
Seeing the Djinn nod without looking at me, I sighed again before turning back to the blizzard, rushing out of the wind sphere and rejoining the chaotic battlefield.
Recasting the wing spell from earlier, I launched myself into the air, searching for the Envoys and Kat.
What I found made my heart leap into my throat, and I shouted "KAT!", watching as she was dragged over the corpse littered ground towards a scroll.
Seeing the runes lining the scrolls paper, I blanched as I flicked my hand forwards, using the wings of fire as a medium to destroy the scroll.
I couldn't see the location, but it wouldn't be good no matter where it went...
I needed to destroy the spell before Kat got dragged in.
However, even as my flames struck and began to burn the scroll, the runes remained strong, the deep forest green runes withstanding the flames easily.
Kat tried to keep herself from being pulled, stabbing her daggers into the ground and trying to crawl away, but the rope was too strong, and she was too exhausted.
Following the rope, I saw the older Envoy yanking it back, and I shifted my flames from the scroll to the man, only to scream out in anguish as he ignored the attacks, pulling and pushing Kat into the scroll.
With his body enveloped in fire, the man stumbled against the scroll, and a rune dulled out.
The location rune.
Running forwards as fast as I could, I screamed as the scroll dropped to the ground, burning to ash, while the runes disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared.
Kat was gone.
That one thought filled my head, and I dropped to my knees as I stared at the pile of smoldering ash that sat atop a frosted ground.
The area around me fell quiet as I focused on the ash, my heart pounding in my chest, my entire body trembling with each beat.
"N-No..."
Reaching forwards, I ignored the flames that sparked from the ground around me, I ignored the fact that Janus had appeared on his own, the large wine red two headed hound standing over me, guarding me.
Cupping the ash, I didn't notice that my skin had shifted to a deep crimson, nor did I feel the flames around me flare into a raging inferno.
My attention was fixed entirely on the small pile of ash that stained my skin grey, and I felt my heart crack as the thought of not seeing Kat again entered my mind.
"N-NO!"
Tears poured from my eyes, and as I began to cry, the world around me changed.
Responding to my emotions, the earth erupted, pillars of flames filling the air around us as I slowly rose.
Holding the ash in my hands, I gently willed the fire sparking inside my core out, and it crystalized the ash instantly, forming a small, prismatic crystal that laid in my palm.
Ignoring the sounds of the Westerners screaming as their flesh melted, I stroked the edge as more tears fell, before I took a deep breath and turned around.
I... didn't want to think anymore.
Not when I could feel the agony that Jahi felt.
Not when I heard the outraged roar of Anput.
Not when the bound between Kat and I fluctuated at random...
Not when I didn't even know if she was-
Shaking my head, I sneered as I turned, tears still staining my cheeks as I began to walk towards the castle gate, where hundreds of Westerners and traitors alike stood.
They would burn in place of Jillian and Ayla.
I would raze this pathetic excuse for a Kingdom to the ground, before I uprooted the damn Sariel and Kameiel Families from the Empire.
That, I swore to the crystal that had floated free of my hand, hovering just beside me at all times.
Making my pain and agony known to the world, it weeped alongside me.
With the temperature reaching sweltering levels and ash falling from the clouds, I began to purge the enemy from the castle, my thoughts centered on the perfect combination of runes needed to accomplish this task.
A distraction had presented itself in the screams of agony that had matched mine, and I began to burn all that stood before me.
For her.
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